July 1, 2002 - 19:24 AMT
ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY CENSURED EXPLOSION AND VANDALISM IN ARMENIAN CHURCHES IN ISTANBUL
The Armenian foreign ministry censured the facts of explosion and vandalism in the Armenian churches of Istanbul. Foreign ministry press secretary Dzyunik Aghajanian told "Arminfo" agency about it while commenting on the incidents taken place in Armenian churches in Istanbul the other day. Answering the question on the possible connection of such incidents with the meeting of Armenian and Turkish foreign ministers Vardan Oskanian and Ismail Cem held in Istanbul the other day, the press secretary noted that she did not consider they were correlated, and to all appearance, they coincided in the time. Let us note that earlier, "Marmara" Armenian newspaper being published in Istanbul reported that an act of vandalism had been committed in an Armenian church in Kandilli Istanbul suburb. And the other day, just before Armenian foreign minister Vardan Oskanian's arrival in Istanbul for participation in the summit of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation an explosion was set off near St. Gregory Illuminator Armenian church in Istanbul.